This invention relates to a stand for supporting electronic piano type keyboard boxes, commonly referred to as keyboards, and cased equipment used by disc jockeys or DJ's (commonly referred to as DJ coffins) in different vertical positions in a horizontal orientation to facilitate a variety of users operating the keyboard from either a standing or sitting position.
The desire to support items has been known in some industries for many years. In a basic form, the concept may involve a readily deployable and collapsible support stand that is able to accommodate and support anticipated loads. In general, an electronic instrument type of keyboard and DJ coffins comprise a relatively long, narrow and low box-like configuration. The keyboards and coffins are portable and generally are moved about from place to place for use at different places or for storage. Thus, a suitable, lightweight, portable and foldable stand is needed to support the keyboard and coffin when desired. Different stand constructions have been made available in the past, but generally, these are relatively expensive, complicated or cumbersome in construction.
In the musical instrument support stand industry, particular attention has been paid to the development of apparatus that are collapsible into a storage or transport configuration and later deployable into an operational configuration, perhaps compatible with a variety of differently sized items (e.g., a variety of differently sized keyboards) and different user requirements. The collapsibility feature has evolved, at least in part, from the need for musicians to set up and stage their instruments, perhaps at a different venue each evening. Because compatibility may be a desired feature of some stands, the music industry has developed several stands that have adjustable support structures.
Particularly where a supported item (e.g., a keyboard) is used while it is supported by the stand, adjustability of a stand may be a desired feature (e.g., to accommodate different users' heights). Additionally, it may even be that a keyboard player, musician, performer or DJ who plans to aggressively play a high pitched percussive piece would want a broader support base than a similarly sized player playing a less aggressive piece substantially at the center of the keyboard, DJ coffin or other equipment. These and other factors relative to musicians and the instruments they play make an ability to change certain features of a deployed stand to accommodate different users, styles and instruments a desired stand feature.
One type of prior keyboard support stand has been formed of two H-shaped units, with elongated center bars pivotally connected together and arranged in an upright position. Thus, the legs of the H-shaped stand, being horizontally arranged, act as upper supports upon which a keyboard may be rested, and lower feet engage the ground. This type of support stand may be folded to place the two upright legs closely adjacent, or alternatively the legs may be spread apart at different angles for providing the desired height location of the keyboard. Straps, which interconnect the upper supports and the lower feet, have been used to set the distances between the respective supports or feet and, consequently, the resulting height of the supported keyboard.
Another type of known musical keyboard stand is often referred to as an X-type stand. This stand may be the simplest and least expensive design, and the most popular of all keyboard stands. The design is simple and includes two symmetrical cross members pivotally joined in the center. The height of the stand is adjusted by changing the angle of the cross members, thereby raising or lowering the keyboard mounting height.
The most common method of locking the height of this type of stand is by a pin being inserted into a plate with holes at the pivot. Other methods include a “saw-tooth” bar extending from one cross member to another and an enclosed ratchet housed about the center pivot.
One drawback of X-type stands is that the stability of the stand is compromised as the height of the keyboard or DJ coffin is raised since the lateral distance between the opposing arms and legs decreases as the height increases. A secondary defect is that at lower positions the width of the arms is too great to be used with smaller keyboards or coffins.
Another known type of musical keyboard stand is a Z-type. Even though this type of stand is portable, Z-type stands are much less portable than X-type stands. This design includes two Z-shaped end frames connected by horizontal crossbars for lateral stability. Z-type stands have the advantage of independent width and height adjustment. The disadvantage of this type of stand is its size, especially when folded for storage. Even when it is collapsed, this type of stand is not very compact. An additional drawback of the design is difficulty in folding. There are several knobs to be loosened to achieve the smallest size for transport and the frames have to be removed from the cross members. The required effort and time to collapse this type of stand is significant.
Another type of known stand is a T-type. These stands are like a folding table; four legs, locking leg-supports and a flat, table-like top. Width and height are independently adjustable. While these stands fold to a relatively flat form for transport, they, like the Z-type, take a significant amount of effort to get them as small as possible.
C-type stands are the most expensive of all the common stand types. Their design is based on an extruded aluminum column with blind slots for holding the support arms and legs. The arms are pivoted and locked in place with either player-facing or side-facing clamps. The advantages are infinite height adjustment along the column that is independent of the support arm width and a distinctive, identifiable look. Disadvantages are that the stand is no more stable than an X-type stand, and often less stable. The column limits horizontal adjustment of the keyboard and is bulky to transport, being typically 48 inches long. Some models do not have storage for the arms and legs within the column, while some do.
Therefore, a need exists for a musical equipment stand that does not suffer from these identified problems while still providing for a stable support for a variety of different configurations while still being easily and efficiently collapsible to a compact configuration